Research is proposed in the following areas: 1. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies will be carried out on the mechanism of tubulin self-association to closed ring oligomers and to microtubules. Particular attention will be devoted to the assembly-promoting and inhibiting ligands, such as magnesium, small polyamines, GTP and calcium. 2. A conformational and self-association study of the activation pathway of chymotrypsin will be pursued. In particular, the various intermediates along the slow and rapid activation pathways will be isolated and the conformational changes and liberation of groups essential for acid dimerization will be scrutinized at each step. 3. The mechanism of enzyme (and protein in general) stabilization by sugars will be further with an analysis of the phenomenon in terms of multicomponent thermodynamic theory.